Zone 10 - What to Plant in September

Zone 10 - What to Plant in September

September is one of the best months to start gardening in Zone 10. You're just past the dog days of summer and the weather is starting to cool down a bit. The typical first frost in Zone 10 is mid-late December but even then it can be very mild. This allows for easy winter growing of several crops. Below is a list of items that can be planted in zone 10 in September.

Carmona Red is a favorite among many market growers! This lettuce variety produces big, bright red heads with lime green hearts. The Carmona Red has a nice silky texture and is very disease resistance.

Rouge D'Hiver Lettuce is a beautifully multicolored French heirloom romaine. This variety's green leaves are tinted with medium-red color at the tip. Rouge D'Hiver is not just beautiful, but it is also very tasty and very easy to grow. This lettuce is a home favorite for resisting heat and cold stress if well watered. This variety has been recently resurrected.

Rudolf Radish produces smooth, cherry-red, perfectly round roots with a crisp bite and classic, bold radish flavor. This vigorous, high-yielding variety is one of the easiest to grow and performs reliably in both spring and fall plantings. Roots size up quickly and uniformly, making them ideal for early harvest as cute mini radishes—or left to mature for full size without sacrificing texture or taste. A dependable choice for consistent shape, color, and crunch.

The Red Burgundy Okra is a deep red variety that produces a tender and delicious pod. This productive burgundy red okra adds a nice crunch, delicious flavor and beautiful color to any soup or stew, especially gumbo!

An early maturing heirloom cabbage. Early Jersey Wakefield is an early variety of cabbage with pointed heads that resist splitting! A great home garden cabbage with great flavor!

Brunswick cabbage is a traditional variety known for its hardiness and adaptability, making it a favorite among gardeners in cooler climates. Originating from Europe, Brunswick cabbage features large, tightly packed heads that can reach sizes of 3-5 pounds. The leaves are thick, dark green, and slightly crinkled, providing a robust texture. The flavor is mild and sweet, especially after exposure to frost, which enhances its natural sugars. Brunswick cabbage is typically harvested in late summer to early fall, and it can store well, making it ideal for winter use. This variety is often used for sauerkraut, coleslaw, and various cooked dishes due to its versatility. Brunswick cabbage plants grow upright and can reach heights of about 18-24 inches, preferring well-drained soil and full sun. Their resilience to cold weather makes them suitable for early spring and fall planting, allowing gardeners to enjoy fresh produce throughout the growing season. Overall, Brunswick cabbage is valued for its robust flavor, adaptability, and long storage life.

This refined, open-pollinated cabbage produces round, green heads wrapped around crisp, tender white hearts and has been a trusted favorite since at least the 1920s. Known for its very early maturity and compact growth habit, it is ideal for dense plantings and tight spacing while still delivering strong yields of uniform, marketable heads. The dense, solid heads are spherical, typically measuring 5–7 inches across and weighing about 3–5 pounds, with plants remaining relatively small compared to head size. Fresh, the flavor is delicately crunchy with a pleasant bite, while cooking mellows it to a rich, buttery taste. Well suited for coleslaw, stir-fries, and other fresh kitchen uses, this variety shines as an early fresh-market cabbage rather than a long-term storage type. Maturing in about 65 days, it is an excellent choice for serious cabbage growers seeking high quality and reliability.

Great Lakes 118 lettuce is a classic butterhead variety that has gained popularity among gardeners since its introduction in the mid-20th century. Known for its compact, dense heads and vibrant green, slightly crinkled leaves, this lettuce offers a pleasing texture and rich, buttery flavor. The taste is mildly sweet and crisp, making it ideal for salads and sandwiches. Harvesting typically occurs around 60-75 days after planting, when the heads are firm and fully developed; gardeners can either cut the entire head or pick individual leaves as needed. Great Lakes 118 thrives in cooler temperatures and well-drained soil, making it a favorite choice for spring and fall planting, and it’s particularly valued for its ability to withstand heat and maintain flavor.

Waltham 29 broccoli seeds produce a classic, open-pollinated variety that was developed in the early 20th century by the University of Massachusetts at Waltham and has remained a trusted garden standard ever since. This variety forms large, deep blue-green central heads measuring 6–8" across on sturdy, cold-tolerant plants that typically reach 20–24" tall. Known for its reliability and adaptability, Waltham 29 performs especially well in cooler temperatures and is valued for its uniform growth and strong side-shoot production after the main head is harvested, resulting in generous yields over an extended period. It matures in about 74–85 days from transplant, making it well suited for spring and fall planting. The tightly packed florets have a tender texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor, excellent for fresh eating, steaming, freezing, and a wide range of culinary uses.

The Cherry Belle Radish is the earliest maturing, garden standard radish. This variety is a 1949 All-American Winner and there is no wonder why. This radish retains its fine eating quality all season. The Cherry Belle is a round, smooth, scarlet beauty. This radish is 3/4" inches across with a crisp, white flesh that is ideal for garnishes or use in salads.

The Red Sails Lettuce is a full rosette type that produces radiant bronze-red, ruffled and deeply lobed leaves that have a mild bitter-free flavor that pairs very well in salads. This slow-bolting lettuce is ready to cut early and holds its quality very well. Red Sails has six times the vitamin A and three times the vitamin C as other supermarket lettuces. This variety thrives in cool weather, but can also grow well in the spring, summer or fall.

Riverside is a smooth spinach with dark green leaves. Grown mostly for its spade-shaped baby leaf harvesting. Riverside produces at normal rates with an upright plant habit. Excellent for growers who want premium quality product. Riverside is also very resistant to downy mildew.